Can someone explain how money is figured out? It seems like sometimes i'll goto combat, do really good, and not get much money at all... sometimes i go and lose ships and end up with a ton of money... i'm at a loss.

You get 1 credit for a Medal of Honour, 2 for a Medal of Conspicuous Bravery, 4 for a Medal of Outstanding Courage, and 8 for a Gold Cross. You also get 20 credits for a promotion. If you lose any ships, you are refunded the credits you used to buy it in full.